On my twenty-first birthday, exactly seventeen years ago, my college roommate and I drove his VW bus to the liquor store to buy me a keg of beer. The keg we bought, for reasons that I cannot now recall, already had a tap installed, and my job as we were driving home was to hold the keg upright in the back of the bus lest it tip and break off the tap.
Needless to say, on one corner, not far from our apartment, my grip on the keg failed. The keg tipped, rolled, and the tap broke off at the base. The whole mechanism was beyond repair and for the next few minutes all I could do was watch as my birthday keg emptied itself, spewing yellow, foamy liquid in every conceivable direction.
Today is my 38th birthday, and despite the fact that there is nothing particularly monumental about turning 38, I am still spending it watching yellow, foamy liquid spew in every conceivable direction.
Potty training is not going well.
Still, as I came downstairs this morning, I was greeted with such a crowd of young girls all waving handmade presents and scribbled cards, screaming like it was 1964 and I was the Beatles, that it's hard to carry too much of a grudge.
Hard, mind you, but not impossible. Nothing is impossible to a father of twins.
Happy Birthday.
Posted by: Ella | July 21, 2007 at 03:30 PM
I'll drink a cold glass of yellow, foamy liquid in your honor.
Posted by: Swamper | July 21, 2007 at 03:48 PM
Heading out to drink a cold one in your honor, and all of us down here wish you the best.
Posted by: Petunia | July 21, 2007 at 04:34 PM
Happy birthday!
Posted by: Tammy from Twinstuff | July 21, 2007 at 04:44 PM
Happy Birthday
Posted by: The Whole Jackson | July 21, 2007 at 07:26 PM
Happy Birthday Luther!
Posted by: Kate | July 21, 2007 at 07:50 PM
delurking to wish you all the best on your b-day
Posted by: A. | July 21, 2007 at 08:21 PM
I hope today's end was better than it's beginning sounded like it was (which sounds pretty damned cool!). Happy Bird Day!
Posted by: Kelly | July 21, 2007 at 08:27 PM
All the best to you for a wonderful birthday.
Posted by: Susannah | July 21, 2007 at 09:59 PM
Happy Birthday, young man... I'm a couple years ahead of you - no longer young enough or strong enough to be a stay at home dad with twins. A few hours with my girls wear me out.
Posted by: D | July 21, 2007 at 11:04 PM
Happy birthday! And my belated condolences on the 21st birthday keg.
Posted by: Darren | July 21, 2007 at 11:58 PM
Mazal Tov! Happy Birthday!
Posted by: Shiri | July 22, 2007 at 01:20 AM
Happy Happy Birthday. Well I did manage to drink several beers tonight as I was at a keg/BBQ farewell party so I raised one for you.
Posted by: Anne Prince | July 22, 2007 at 01:25 AM
Happy Birthday! Cheers.
Posted by: shawn | July 22, 2007 at 08:21 AM
Happy Birthday. Hope you get what you wish for...LOL. but I doubt it somehow.
Posted by: Amber | July 22, 2007 at 09:31 AM
Happy, happy birthday!
Posted by: Meredith | July 22, 2007 at 09:42 AM
Happy Birthday, my friend! I drank a whole lotta wine in your honor last night.
Posted by: Jennifer | July 22, 2007 at 10:14 AM
Hope you had a great day. All the best bloggers were born in July, you know. ;)
Posted by: Nicole | July 22, 2007 at 02:09 PM
The nice part of this birthday is that your head won't hurt as bad. Happy birthday.
Posted by: Hygiene Dad | July 22, 2007 at 05:51 PM
Happy Birthday! I'm a long time reader, and a first time commenter. This blog really helped me take the plunge on becoming a stay at home dad. Once you've cleaned up the warm, yellow, foamy liquid, have a cold one!
- Mike
Posted by: DevDad | July 22, 2007 at 07:33 PM
Like all the others, I too would like to wish you well today and here's hoping next year is just as good (or better...which would you prefer?) than this one!
Cheers,
Another Parent of Twins
Posted by: Marianne | July 22, 2007 at 08:35 PM
I guess I'm a little late but Happy Birthday!
You know you're a parent of twins when you read about a keg spewing and the first thing you think about is what a horrible mess that guy's van must have been and how the twins could be making a mess like that right now so I'd better go see why they're suddenly being so very quiet...
Posted by: DebiD | July 23, 2007 at 10:10 AM
Happy (late now) birthday!
Posted by: Sarah, Goon Squad Sarah | July 23, 2007 at 10:34 AM
Happy birthday, a little late! Hope you had a good one. My 38th is coming in November...about the time I may be attempting some potty training with my twins.
Posted by: SusanR | July 23, 2007 at 12:07 PM
Many Happy Returns, The Dad!
Posted by: Annz | July 23, 2007 at 12:19 PM